FC Dallas to participate in Super Liga

Published 1/14/2007 10:25:55 PM by Media Relations from FC Dallas

LOS ANGELES - FC Dallas today was officially named one of four MLS teams that will participate in the inaugural SuperLiga(tm), the preeminent club tournament in North America that will not only decide the best in the region but will also award the heftiest winner's purse in North American soccer history. Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber together with the Commissioner of the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Primera Division (Mexican Soccer Federation's First Division), Decio de Maria, announced the creation of SuperLiga(tm) and the participating teams during a press conference held at Home Depot Center in California.

"It will be an honor to represent our wonderful fans and North Texas soccer in the Inaugural SuperLiga," said FC Dallas General Manager Michael Hitchcock. "It's a great opportunity to match the best Mexican and American teams to find out who is the best club in North America."

Eight clubs - four each from the top flight leagues of the United States and Mexico - will vie to determine a singular champion of North America. While competitive criteria will determine participants in future editions of SuperLiga, the eight teams in the inaugural 2007 edition of SuperLiga were selected on an invitation-only basis: reigning CONCACAF champions Club America, Copa Sudamericana holders CF Pachuca, one-time league champion Monarcas Morelia and CD Guadalajara from Mexico; four-time MLS Cup champion D.C. United, Western Conference champion FC Dallas, two-time MLS Cup and CONCACAF Champions, Los Angeles Galaxy and the MLS Cup 2006 champions, Houston Dynamo will represent the United States. SuperLiga 2007 will count on both reigning league champions, the Houston Dynamo (MLS) and Chivas Guadalajara (Mexico).

The format, modeled after the UEFA Champions League, will include a group phase and a knockout phase with all games held in U.S. venues. SuperLiga will be played between July 24 and August 29, 2007. In addition to the prestige of capturing this continental honor, the club that emerges as SuperLiga champion will take home $1 million dollars in prize money, an unprecedented prize purse in North American soccer history.

The SuperLiga field of teams is divided into two groups, each with two representatives from the respective leagues. FC Dallas, which will play in Group A along with Chivas de Guadalajara, Pachuca, and the Los Angeles Galaxy, will host all three opponents at Pizza Hut Park on July 24 (Pachuca), July 28 (Chivas), and July 31 (Los Angeles). Details on tickets for SuperLiga games at Pizza Hut Park will be announced soon. Group B will consist of Club America, D.C. United, Houston, and Morelia.

"There are many reasons to win this tournament, including credibility, pride, and the "pot of gold" for the champion," added Hitchcock. "We're excited to host all three of our first round games at the world-class Pizza Hut Park in what promises to be a great tournament."

The entire tournament will be broadcast live in primetime by Univision's TeleFutura Network in the United States and by Televisa and TV Azteca in Mexico. The SuperLiga final will be held on August 29 at a U.S. venue to be determined.

The SuperLiga mark took its inspiration from representative symbols of the Americas - the Bald Eagle native to the United States and Canada, and the Golden Eagle which appears on Mexico's flag. A concept of the two birds swooping toward the same soccer ball evolved into a graphical representation of a single feather with two sides - one silver, one gold - enveloping the ball, thus evoking an elite nature of the competition. Historically in both countries, the feather - la pluma in Spanish - has long been revered as an emblem of bravery, excellence and glory. The SuperLiga trophy will reflect this graceful form as it becomes a highly-coveted "feather in the cap" among North America's top teams.

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